Since the Medal of Honor was created in 1861 there have been 3,469 awarded. Approximately half were awarded during the Civil War alone.

The Medal of Honor is the highest US Military honor awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. It is awarded by the President on behalf of the Congress and represents the gratitude of the American people.

There are two methods of being nominated for the Award. The most common is for the service member to be nominated and approved by the chain of command for his organization, the other is to be nominated by Congress and approved by a special Act of Congress.

The presentation is usually made at a formal ceremony, by the President, at the White House. Medals awarded posthumously are presented to the primary next of kin. Since 1941 more than half of the Medals have been awarded posthumously.

There are three versions of the Medal, Army, Navy, and Air Force. Marine and Coast Guard members receive the Navy version.

 

The Medal and any associated ribbon or badge is protected by law from any unauthorized adornment, sale or manufacture to maintain the high level of prestige associated with the award.

CRITERIA

The criteria for the nomination has evolved over time. In the 1800s there was no other authorized military decoration so the Medal was awarded for any act outside regular battlefield involvement. In the early 1900s, the Navy issued two versions of the Medal, one for combat and one for non-combat acts of bravery. During World War I the Army would tighten it’s nominations to acts of valor under combat conditions while the Navy would keep it’s peacetime, Tiffany Cross, conditions until 1963. In July of 1963 Public Law 88-77 standardized the criteria to combat acts only.

PRESENTATION HISTORY

The first Army Medals of Honor were presented in March 1863 to the “Andrews Raiders”, six men who hijacked a Confederate railroad train, by Sec. of War Stanton.

The first Navy Medals of Honor were presented April 1863, to 41 sailors for their actions during the battles for St. Philip and Fort Jackson, by Sec. of War Stanton.

The first Marine awarded the Navy Medal of Honor was John F. Mackie, July 1863, for his actions on the USS Galena.

The only Coast Guardsmen to receive the Navy Medal of Honor was Douglas Munro, May 1943, for evacuating 500 Marines under fire on Guadalcanal. The Medal was presented posthumously.

The only woman awarded the Army Medal of Honor was Mary Edwards Walker, 1865, a civilian Union Army surgeon for her action at the First Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Atlanta.

WAR on TERROR RECIPIENTS

While it is unfortunate that conditions still exist for the performance of such acts of valor to be recognized, we proudly salute the following individuals.

( * denotes Medal awarded posthumously)

IRAQ

*Corporal Jason L. Dunham

Date of Issue: 01/11/2007 Organization: U.S. Marine Corps, Company K, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines

*Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis

Date of Issue: 06/05/2008 Organization: U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Division Date Entered Service: June 14, 2004

*Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor

Date of Issue: 04/08/2008 Organization: U.S. Navy, SEAL Team 3

*Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith

Date of Issue: 04/05/2005 Organization: U.S. Army

AFGHANISTAN

Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter

Date of Issue: 06/19/2014 Organization: U.S. Marine Corps

Specialist Ty M. Carter

Date of Issue: 08/26/2013 Organization: U.S. Army, Battle Company, B Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment

Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta

Date of Issue: 11/16/2010 Organization: U.S. Army, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade

Sergeant Dakota Meyer

Date of Issue: 09/15/2011 Organization: U.S. Marine Corps.

*Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller

Date of Issue: 10/06/2010 Organization: U.S. Army, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312

*Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti

Date of Issue: 09/17/2009 Organization: U.S. Army, Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division

*Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy

Date of Issue: 10/22/2007 Organization: U.S. Navy, ALFA Platoon, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1

Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts

Date of Issue: 07/21/2014 Organization: U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade

Staff Sergeant Leroy A. Petry

  Date of Issue: 07/12/2011 Organization: U.S. Army, Company D, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment

Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha

  Date of Issue: 02/11/2013 Organization: U.S. Army, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Captain William D. Swenson

Date of Issue: 10/15/2013 Organization: U.S. Army, Task Force Phoenix, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Sergeant Kyle J. White

Date of Issue: 05/13/2014 Organization: U.S. Army, Company C, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade

BREAKDOWN of AWARDS

Conflict     Dates Medal Count

Civil War	1861–1865	1522
Indian Wars	1865-1891	426
Korean Expedition	1871	15
Spanish-American War	1898	110
Samoan Civil War	1886–1894	4
Philippine-American War	1899–1902	86
Boxer Rebellion	1899–1901	59
Occupation of Veracruz	1914	56
United States occupation of Haiti	1915–1934	8
Dominican Republic Occupation	1916–1924	3
World War I	1914–1918	124
Occupation of Nicaragua	1912–1933	2
World War II	1939–1945	464
Korean War	1950–1953	137
Vietnam War	1955–1975	247
USS Liberty incident	1967	1
Battle of Mogadishu	1993	2
Iraq War	2003–2011	4
Afghanistan War	2001–present	12
Peacetime		193
Unknown soldiers		9

 

Double recipients

Name	Service	Rank§	War(s)	Notes
BaldwinFrank Baldwin	Army	First Lieutenant, Captain	American Civil War, Indian Wars
ButlerSmedley Butler	Marine Corps	Major	Veracruz, Haiti
CooperJohn Cooper	Navy	Coxswain	American Civil War
CukelaLouis Cukela	Marine Corps	Sergeant	World War I	Awarded both Navy and Army versions for the same action.
Custer Thomas Custer	Army	Second Lieutenant	American Civil War	Battle of Namozine Church on 3 April and Battle of Sayler’s Creek on 6 April 1865.
DalyDaniel Daly	Marine Corps	Private, Gunnery Sergeant	Boxer Rebellion, Haiti	[146]
HoganHenry Hogan	Army	First Sergeant	Indian Wars
Jason Ernest A. Janson	Marine Corps	Gunnery Sergeant	World War I	Both awarded for the same action. Received the Army MOH under the name Charles F. Hoffman.
KellyJohn J. Kelly	Marine Corps	Private	World War I	Both awarded for the same action.
KingJohn King	Navy	Water tender	Peacetime	1901 and 1909
KocakMatej Kocak	Marine Corps	Sergeant	World War I	Both awarded for the same action.
LaffertyJohn Lafferty	Navy	Fireman, First Class Fireman	American Civil War, peacetime
McCloyJohn C. McCloy	Navy	Coxswain, Chief Boatswain	Boxer Rebellion, Veracruz
MullenPatrick Mullen	Navy	Boatswain’s Mate	American Civil War
PruittJohn H. Pruitt	Marine Corps	Corporal	World War I	Both awarded for the same action.
Sweeney Robert Sweeney	Navy	Ordinary Seaman	Peacetime	1881 and 1883
WeisbogelAlbert Weisbogel	Navy	Captain of the Mizzen Top	Peacetime	1874 and 1876
Williams Louis Williams	Navy	Captain of the Hold	Peacetime	1883 and 1884. Also known as Ludwig Andreas Olsen.
Wilson William Wilson	Army	Sergeant	Indian Wars

By branch of service
Service	Army	Navy	Marines	Air Force	Coast Guard
Awards	2418	747	299	18	1